Heater for electric fans



' March 20, 1934- H. SCHLESINGER 1,951,675

HEATER FOR ELECTRIC FANS Filed Aug. 10, 1931 l atented Mare 20, 1934 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Harry Schlesinger, Des

Moines, lowa, assignor of seventy-four onehundred-and-eighty-thirds to Alfred F. Yoerg and and-eighty-thirds to Des Moines, Iowa Application August 10,

6 Claims.

An object of my invention is to provide a heater especially adapted for attachment to an electric fan, the heater itself being of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide a heater consisting of a base plate with a heating element supported thereon and means for supporting the base plate on either the fan motor or the propeller guard of the fan motor, the propeller 10 being supported on the base plate when the base plate itself is supported on the motor.

A further object is to provide a means for heating the air propelled by an electric comprising a heating element adjacent the propeller of the fan and located in the air stream created thereby, whereby to radiate heat into the air stream and thereby raise its temperature.

Still a further object is to provide an electric heater w -ich can be easily attached to an electric fan consisting of a bare plate with openings therein and a heating element supported adjacent the openings, the manner of support being a spiral coil of strip insulation to which the heating element, preferably in coil form, is secured.

Another object is to provide novel means for supporting the strip of insulation upon the base plate and to provide a. shutter means for open ings which do not register with the heating element so as to admit additional air, as for instance when the heating element is not energized and it is desired to get a maximum circulation of air by the fan.

With these and other objects in View my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in O accompanying dr; wing, in which:

" Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fan with a propeller guard thereon shown in section and one form of my heater for fans applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing a front elevation of the heating element and its support.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the heater and its support.

Figure 4 is a sectional view somewhat similar 50 to Figure 1 showing modified construction; and

Figure 5 is sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral to indicate a base or stand for a fan motor 12. The shaft of the fan motor til thirty-five one-hundred- Jack Goldberg, both of 1931, Serial No. 556,084

(CL 2l9-39) 12 is indicated at 14 and a propeller 15 is secured thereto.

A propeller guard consisting of wire rings 18, cross wires and radial wires 22 is usually provided for an electric fan of this type.

In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown a heater construction in which a base plate A is provided having spoke members 23 and a band portion 24. Heater openings 26 and damper openings 28 are provided in the base plate A. The base plate A may be supported on the motor 12 in any suitable manner. I have shown perforated lugs 30 through which end plate bolts 32 of the motor 12 extend. These lugs may be detachable and adjustable by means of bolts and slots to fit different motors.

I provide for supporting the propeller guard as on the band 24 by means of a plurality of clips 34 and bolts 36.

I provide heating element B supported by a coil of strip insulation 38 which is originally fiat and has the heating element B secured thereto by means of small wires or staples 40. The strip is then bent into spiral form as shown in Figur 2 and retained in such position by the lugs 42 and 44. Set screws l6 extend through the lugs 4-1. The lugs 42 and 44 are arranged in staggered relationship on the spokes 22 as clearly shown in Figure 2. I'he ends of the heating element B are connected with a pair of posts 48 which extend through and are insulated from the base plate A and are adapted to have a connection plug 50 (see Figure 4) coacting therewith for electrically connecting the heating element with a source of current supply.

In the wintertime when it is desired to heat the air propelled by the propeller 16 the heating element B may be included in an electric circuit such as the one provided for the motor 12 and the air propelled through the openings 26 and past the heating element B and accordingly being heated. It is desirable to eliminate to a greater or less extent other air from being propelled by the propeller 16.

I have accordingly provided a shutter plate 52 provided with a control handle 54. The shutter plate 52 has lugs 56 engaging the periphery of the base plate A so as to provide for oscillating movement of the shutter plate relative to the base plate. In Figure 3 I have shown in dotted lines a position where only small openings a are left for air to pass through which does not pass by the heating element. Thus the volume of air can be controlled as desired. The band 24 prevents the flow or" air from the periphery of the propeller guard radially inward toward the fan blades and helps to direct most of the air to come in contact with the heating element B.

In Figure at I have shown how the heater may be applied to the front of a fan guard having supports 19 rather than to a motor and support the fan guard with the heating element on the back side of the fan. In Figure 4 it will be noted that the heating element is in front of the fan. The parts in this figure corresponding to Figures 1, 2 and 3 are designated by similar characters and numbers of reference with the addition of and a respectively. A shutter may be provided for this type of installation but I have not illustrated one on the drawing. The band 24a is cone-shaped and has a flange 58 which may be secured to the radial wires 22 of the fan guard by the clips 60 shown in Figure 5. Pointed set screws 62 serve to tighten the radial Wires 22 in the hook-like clips 60. The clips 60 are all pointed circumferentially in one direction so that the base plate A can be applied to the fan guard by placing it against the guard and then rotating it until all the hooks 60 are hooked on the radial wires 22. Thereafter the set screws 62 may be tightened.

The type of heater shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 must be attached to the motor and the propeller guard then attached to it. The type shown in Figures 4 and 5 is universally adaptable for easy attachment to any propeller guard usually supported on a fan motor. The heater may be made in any size to fit any particular size or" fan and will effectively heat the air propelled thereby. Thus an electric fan becomes serviceable both as a winter and summer convenience.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement or" the parts of my device with.- out departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents whi h may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. An air heater comprising a base plate, means for mounting said base plate adjacent the propeller of a motor, a heating element supported on said base plate, said base plate having periorations adjacent said heating element to permit air to propelled past the heating element, and also having other perforations through which air may be propelled Without flowing past said heating element, and an adjustable shutter means for controlling said other perforations.

2. An air heater for fans comprising a base plate, a spirally arranged coil of insulation upstanding thereon, a heating element mounted on said coil of insulation and perforations in said base plate to permit flOW of propelled air through said base plate between said coils oi": insulation and said heating element, said base plate a plurality of pairs of spaced lugs and a set screw for each pair of lugs to mount said spirally arranged coil of insulation on said base plate.

3. An air heater for fans comprising a base plate, a spirally arranged coil of insulation upstanding thereon, said base plate having a plurality of pairs of spaced lugs and a set screw for each pair or" lugs to mount said spirally arranged coil of insulation on said base plate and a heating element on said coil of insulation/means thr ugh said insulation to retain said heating element the eon and strips of insulation covering said last means held in position by said set screws.

4. A heater of the class described comprising a grid-like base plate, a spiral strip of insulation upstanding thereon and a heating element secured to said strip of insulation and extending tudinaliy theroo; said base plate having a series of spaced lugs for said strip of insulation to fil', between and set screws to retain said strip therebetween.

5. A heater of the class described comprising a grid-like base plate, a spiral strip of insulation upstanding thereon, a heating element secured said strip of insulation and extending longitudinally thereof, means of securing comprising metal clips, said base plate having a series of spaced lugs for said strip of insulation to fit between, a set screw to retain the strip of insulation therebetween and strips of insulation covering said metal clips and retained in position by said set screws.

6. A heater of the class described comprising a grid-like base plate, a spiral strip of insulation upstanding thereon, a heating element secured to said strip of insulation and extending longitudinally thereof, and shutter means to control a part of said grid-like base plate which does not register with said heating element.

HARRY SCHLESINGER. 

